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Tad Boyle is still Tad Boyle

WOOHOO! What’s more fun than a disgusting game where no one can make shots!?

Tad Boyle and the Colorado Buffaloes have evolved a lot over his 15 years, but CU’s 67-60 win over WVU at the Big 12 Tourney was a classic rock fight. In March, Tad just knows how to win gross. And this was gross. God, this was gross.

I’m stopping myself now from a long diatribe about how horrible the Big 12 Basketball court is. It’s horrible. Truly terrible. I have legitimately gotten multiple headaches from the pattern, but I digress. This team, at least until last week, was also pretty terrible. That’s no longer the case. As soon as Colorado got off the plane in Kansas City, a switch must’ve flipped.

This game was 23-29 at the half, in favor of West Virginia. That’s right. 23-29. Basically a basket a minute. Truly gross stuff. No one could shoot, including West Virginia, and Andrej Jakimoksi’s nine points essentially kept the Buffs in it. First Team all-conference guard Javon Small was quiet for the Mountaineers all game, which also helped, as his explosive scoring is basically the whole offensive scheme for WVU after Tucker DeVries’ went down due to injury.

The second half was also a snoozefest, with two exceptions.

Exception One: Elijah Malone. CU’s center was held to two in the first half, but he got to 12 in the second half by getting deep in the paint and sitting down until someone gave him the ball. That dude knows how to work around the rim. He just needs an entry pass. WVU had no one big enough to handle him one-on-one and he knew it, as Malone went 6-7 from the floor in the period.

The second thing to watch in the second half was the 17-1 run the Buffs went on with five minutes left to seal the game. WVU got bit by the same turnover bug that’s plagued the Buffs all season, coughing the ball up seven times in four minutes to fuel CU’s comeback. Trevor Baskin was playing with his hair on fire on the defensive floor and caused enough chaos to force consecutive turnovers.

It also didn’t hurt that the Buffs couldn’t miss from deep. Shout out to R.J. Smith, who went 3-4 from beyond the arc in the second half. He’s having a great season.

Also of note: true freshman guard Felix Kossaras played 21 minutes for Colorado today and looked phenomenal, shooting 3-4 from the floor and tallying seven points with no turnovers. Kossaras gave the Buffs some great minutes down the stretch against the Mountaineers, showcasing his development throughout the season.

BUFFS ADVANCE #GoBuffs pic.NOPE/mikCjkUz4Y

— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) March 12, 2025​

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As a reward for playing so well the last few days, the Buffs play the second-ranked Houston Cougars tomorrow at 1:00 pm MT. How fun!

by RylandScholes
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No Shedeur, No Travis, Problem?

I don’t know if it’s the gross basketball season or the fact that Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders take up huge amounts of space, despite being pros now, but it feels like spring football snuck up on me. The Colorado Buffaloes are back and practicing! Coach Prime likes to roster build through and after the spring, so don’t expect it to be a finished product. However, this year’s Buff team is the most stable yet. We are close to a full house here. There are a lot of new faces and, you know, CU is replacing a HEISMAN, but I’m more excited than anything. I kind of believe Deion Sanders when he says that this is his best team yet.

Here’s what we’re watching this spring:

Easy Answer: QB Battle​

I don’t know if you know this, but Shedeur Sanders was a very good college quarterback. For my money, the best thrower in Colorado history. CU has to replace that kind of quarterback. The Buffs will have their second year of Pat Shurmur as OC, so there will be some scheme continuity to play with. I still expect the flavor of the offense to be a lot more balanced and traditional. Why? Well, the Buffs have a fun choice to make. Kaidon Salter is an incoming senior who’s played a lot of basketball. He can throw it, especially deep, but he can really run. Are the Buffs ready to take advantage of a true dual threat behind center? Julian Lewis, or JuJu Lewis, is a top notch incoming-freshman. He is one of the best in the country and he has played a lot of football himself. He’s not a runner like Salter, but he is an RPO assassin and has incredible accuracy. Who will win this competition? More importantly, are they going to make each other better?

The Defense - is it legit?​

Robert Livingston is a wonder. He immediately improved the Buffs’ defense in year 1. So much show that the New Orleans Saints almost hired him as defensive coordinator. He decided to stay in Boulder. Shurmur and Livingston together for a second year is a surprising amount of continuity in Boulder. Sure, there were some staff changes on the defensive side of the ball, but the Buffs have to be building up from good to better as to starting over.

The Buffs are losing Travis Hunter. This is a monumental loss that cannot be replaced. In terms of irreplaceable graduations or subtractions, that is about it. The interior of the line will be top 3 in the Big 12, with Jeheim Oatis, Anquin Barnes and Amari McNeil manning the middle. Keaton Wade and Arden Walker will be the main rotation players on the outside, and they both brought intense pressure. That front 4 will be nasty. Behind them, Martavis French is a huge addition to the linebacker room. DJ McKinney and Colton Hood are a great corner tandem. Preston Hodge is a top tier nickel back. There are studs all over this defense. Can some of the newcomers add to this monster? Will the Buffs have a plus for the first time since...2016?

Where else can the Buffs add?​

The Buffs are close and they aren’t done. Where are the spots that CU desperately needs help? I think safety and running back are obvious spots for improvement, but I think there might be some more pieces that open up. Wide receiver has a lot of bodies, including Joeseph Williams, who is very exciting, but is there a #1 option? ILB is losing Vonta Bentley and Nikhai Hill-Green, can the Buffs get another difference maker? I don’t know, but I know I’m expecting at least 10-12 new faces after spring. Where do those land?

It snuck up on everyone, but welcome to spring football!

by Jack Barsch
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Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images

Salter is looking to sling it with the Buffs

New Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter kicked off spring practice by making it clear he came to Boulder to do one thing: air out the football.

Salter, a transfer from Liberty and former C-USA Player of the Year in 2023, established himself as one of the nation’s premier threats with his legs. In 2023, Salter’s rushing ability kept defenses honest, as he ran for 1089 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with passing for an additional 2876 yards and 32 touchdowns.

In 2024, Salter worked with Liberty coach Jamey Chadwell on becoming a more traditional quarterback, opting to use his legs less and arm more. That resulted in a downtick in his stats, passing for 1886 yards and rushing for only 587.

At the first media availability of the season, Salter made it clear that his intention is to continue developing as a pass-first quarterback, but will still use his legs when needed.

“[My rushing] will still be displayed, but mostly, I came to throw the ball,” said Salter. “Of course, I’m going to use my legs when I have to... but I came here to throw the ball. We have a lot of electric receivers here.”

Salter also mentioned the role that Buffaloes offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur played in recruiting him to Colorado. Specifically, Salter said that Shurmur’s work to develop Shedeur Sanders into an NFL-ready quarterback stood out when making his decision.

“Pat Shurmur is one of the best offensive coordinators and quarterback coaches in the country,” Salter said. “The amount of passing yards that Shedeur [Sanders] put up last year and his completion rate, and all of his achievements, are something that I loved and most definitely led me to commit here.”

During spring ball, Salter will battle five-star freshman Julian “Juju” Lewis for the starting quarterback role in 2025. To win the job, Salter’s development as a passer is pivotal.

Luckily for fans, they’ll be able to get a glance at the QB battle between Lewis and Salter with their own eyes during the Buffaloes’ spring game on April 19.

For more CU spring football updates, make sure to stay up date with Ralphie Report on our website and Twitter/X.

by RylandScholes
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The Buffs move on in the field of 16!

It was a tight one, but the 2024-25 Colorado Buffaloes will continue their season after narrowly beating the TCU Horned Frogs in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament.

Neither team put in a clean performance this afternoon. The Frogs struggled early with shot-making, as they missed their first thirteen field goals. CU could have used those defensive stops to build a commanding lead, but they struggled with turnovers and general inefficiency, even with a strong start from Julian Hammond III.

Despite TCU’s horrific shooting, Jamie Dixon’s squad dominated on the glass. While Colorado won the rebounding battle when these teams played on Saturday, Ernest Udeh and David Punch manhandled the undersized Buffs. Colorado had gained a 24-15 lead, but TCU narrowed and then overcame that advantage, mostly because they had almost 20 more field goals in this first half.

The tides shifted a few times in the match, none more important than Colorado’s 13-1 run in the first four minutes of the second half. Andrei Jakimovski wasn’t ready for his college career to be over and took over during this stretch, making three of three attempts from beyond the arc. The Buffs nearly ran away with this game a little while later when RJ Smith hit a couple threes to take a 50-36 lead.

TCU was not done, however, as the Buffs stalled out amidst cold shooting and more turnover yips. It became tense when Noah Reynolds and Jace Posey’s three-pointers narrowed CU’s lead to 65-63 with a minute to play. Reynolds even had the chance at the go-ahead basket with 27 seconds to play, but he missed, Trevor Baskin came away with the ball, and the Buffs shot a perfect 4/4 from the line to close out the 69-67 win.

Next up for the Buffs is a matchup with the 8th-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers. These teams played just once this season, a tight 78-70 January road win for Darian DeVries. Colorado has improved a lot in these last few months and anything can happen if they keep it close. That game will tip off at 1 PM (MT) and air on ESPN+.

by Sam Metivier
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Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Preston Hodge gets an extra year due to Pavia’s lawsuit, so Coach Liv is feeling thankful.

Thanksgiving is 261 days away from the start of spring practice for the Colorado Buffaloes, but defensive coordinator Robert Livingston is already in a thankful mood. Coach Liv offered a sincere thank you to a player during his media availability on Tuesday, but it might not be one you’d expect.

Livingston didn’t thank a player on his defense. In fact, he didn’t even thank a player on his own team. Instead, he offered thanks to Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia during his presser.

“Shoutout to Diego Pavia,” said Livingston. “Forever grateful to you. If I ever make it to Nashville, first drink’s on me.”

Why is Colorado’s DC thanking Vanderbilt’s quarterback? There’s an easy answer: lawsuits.

No, seriously. Livingston is thanking Pavia because he sued the NCAA and won that lawsuit.

Pavia, who played two seasons of junior college football at New Mexico Military Institute before finding his way to Vandy, took the governing body of college athletics to court to argue that JUCO ball shouldn’t count against eligibility, and the judges agreed with him. As a result, anyone who played in junior college will be granted an additional year of eligibility.

The Buffs are beneficiaries of that ruling, as they get their star nickleback for an additional season. Preston Hodge, who played his freshman year in 2021 at Navarro College in Texas, will return for one more year.

Hodge was a difference maker in Boulder during the 2024 season, snagging two picks and netting seven pass breakups. Getting Hodge back for an extra year will be a boon for the Buffaloes, according to Livingston.

“To get Preston back is key,” Livingston said. “He’s a really good player. The way we play, Preston stirs the drink.”

Thanks to Pavia, Buffs fans will be treated to more of Preston Hodge at Folsom Field during CU’s Spring Game on April 19.

For more CU spring football updates, make sure to stay up date with Ralphie Report on our website and Twitter/X.

by RylandScholes
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